


Safe Haven

by Fandomfanatics09



Category: Destroyer (2018), Sebastian Stan - Fandom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:41:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23010394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandomfanatics09/pseuds/Fandomfanatics09
Summary: Chris Haven is a high school resource officer who has a big heart and soft spot for troubled teens. Lucy is one of those teens Chris has tried to help but she is strong willed and opinionated with a bad home life and guarded heart.Destroyer AU.
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Chapters may contain depictions of sexual and physical violence to a minor, strong language, and heartbreaking scenes. This is a story meant to pull back the curtain on a lot of real life issues kids go through but are unable to talk about. If you read and enjoy this story please leave kudos and reviews.

Chris sat in his patrol car parked outside the school building, looking at the front doors with discontent. Another day of dealing with the fresh hell that awaited him within those walls. Chris liked kids, hell, he even liked his job most of the time but it was those few problem kids that made his job less than pleasant. 

“Just a few more weeks” he sighed, climbing out and walking inside 

Chris was greeted by the office staff and he made some small talk with a few of the teachers before he headed into his office and opened his computer to a slew of emails. Angry parents cussing him for daring to intervene with their child’s behavior, concerned mothers going on about bullying, the usual. Not even five minutes into his work day the phone on his desk rang and he couldn’t help but groan at the name that appeared on the screen. 

“Yeah?” Chris asked “What’s she doing now?”

“Just get down here." 

Chris sighed and made his way down the locker lined hallway, heading in the direction he was needed. He asked already hear the screaming and saw that the principal and a few other teachers were trying to defuse the situation but the crowd backed away when he neared, a look of relief on the principal’s face when she saw him. He entered the classroom and assessed the situation, shaking his head. 

"You wanna get down from there and tell me what’s going on?” Chris asked looking up at the teenage girl standing on her desk

“What’s going on is a breech of the third amendment!" 

Chris resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he reached for her wrist, helping her down.

"You’re housing a soldier?” he asked casually, leading her out of the classroom without incident 

“What? No. I meant the one about freedom of speech." 

"That’s the First Amendment, Lucy”

“Whatever." 

"Sit.”

Lucy sat down with a huff against the lockers, knees pulled to her chest, while Chris got the necessary details from her teacher. After a few minutes of speaking with Miss Alexander, the principal, he motioned for Lucy to join him. Reluctantly she got up and followed him back to his office. Chris sat down in the leather desk chair and leaned back, placing his hands behind his head. Instead of sitting, Lucy wandered around his office, picking up the Rubix Cube he had sat on a shelf. 

“What happened?" 

"Didn’t Mr Furrow already tell you?” She asked, turning the sides of the colored cube 

“I want to hear your side.”

Lucy sighed and turned to look at the officer. 

“Let’s just cut to the chase and get to the punishment. I know you don’t care about my side." 

"Lucy, you know that isn’t true. I’ve always been fair with you. Sit down and tell me what happened." 

Lucy sat in her preferred chair. Not either of the ones across from his desk, not the beanbag sat next to a bookshelf, but the white saucer chair covered with faux fur. 

"Do you know why I like sitting here, Chris?" 

"No, wh-”

“You never cared to ask.” Lucy shrugged “I’ve always wanted one.”

Chris leaned forward, resting his clasped hands on the desk. 

“Right.” Lucy continued to turn the cube “Columbus Day is a load of horseshit and I told Mr Furrow that.”

“Why is it…that?”

“Its so dumb how teachers aren’t allowed to cuss. I bet every one of you swear like sailors when you’re not at work.”

“It’s not appropriate”

“Its stupid. Anyway, Mr Furrow was preaching-”

“Teaching.” Chris corrected her 

“Sure, let’s go with that. Mr. Furrow was teaching about that asshole Christopher Columbus and how he discovered America. Then he explained why we celebrate Columbus Day, making this guy out to be a hero or something. So I told him he was wrong.”

“Is he wrong?”

“Yeah. Columbus didn’t discover America, he discovered some place in the Caribbean”

“What place?" 

Lucy narrowed her eyes. She knew Chris’ game. He was testing her, making her talk. She hated him for it because she knew he was reading her. He looked at her as if he was trying to deduce everything that was going on in her head and figuring her out and the scary thing was, he usually could figure her out. She twisted the cube in her hand, looking away from him. 

"The West Indies. He thought he was in India, that’s why we call Native Americans Indians. He was a racist prick who raped and murdered hundreds of people then took claim over a land that wasn’t his”

“You’re right.”

“I know I am.”

“But you can’t tell your teachers that they’re wrong.”

“Why not? Because I’m a kid and they’re the adult?”

“Exactly.”

“How is that fair?”

“It isn’t, but that’s the rules.”

“Fuck rules.”

“Lucy.” Chris warned, reaching for a notebook and handing it to her 

“What’s this for?”

“I want you to write an apology letter to Mr Furrow.”

“Oh for the love of-”

“Just do it and we can both go back to our day.”

“Oh I’m sooo sorry to inconvenience you, Officer." 

She rolled her eyes and began writing. Chris answered the emails he had and rescheduled his mentoring sessions he was currently missing. Thirty minutes later Lucy placed the notebook on Chris’ desk, along with the Rubix Cube. Without another word, she left Chris’ office and he raised his eyebrows, picking up the brain teaser and pursing his lips. 

"Smart kid.” He mused, turning the cube in his hand to see that she had figured the puzzle out, all six sides one solid color. He placed it back on his shelf without messing it up and went on about his day. 

Before working at the high school Chris worked at a juvenile detention center. As a former troubled teen, he felt drawn to these kids that just needed a guiding hand. He’d met a lot of these kids over his years as a cop, but never anyone quite like Lucy. Lucy was opinionated, strong willed, and didn’t take crap from anyone. When Chris had first shown up at the school, Lucy was aggressive and angry. He had worked with her, even though she fought him every step of the way, to see what worked for her. Eventually he found that bringing her to his office, a room he kept quiet and comfortable, lit only by a couple of dim lamps, would calm her down. He’d talk to her and ask her questions that made her open up and think. Shed never talk about her personal life outside of school, something he quickly learned not to ask her about if he wanted to keep her talking. He had once asked her why she seemed to wear the same thing every day ,a pair of torn and faded jeans and an over-sized hoodie. It was t out of the ordinary for teens to be seen in the same hoodies, but even in the warmer months she’d wear the same thing. 

Lucy thought that everyone hated her. She had a chip on her shoulder, an attitude and scowl that made everyone distance themselves from her. She was never seen talking to anyone, always walking to class alone while other girls had friends by their sides. She never attended any after school functions, went on field trips, or did extra curricular activities. When Chris asked her why she just shrugged and told him that they were stupid. Lucy was smart, though. She studied hard, never missed an assignment, or a day of school. When Chris talked to her about her future and what she wanted to do she had told him that she wanted to go to college and get a good job, leaving her response at that. 

At the end of the day Chris called Lucy back to his office. After she had begrudgingly slumped down in one of the chairs in front of his desk he asked her about the rest of her day. 

“Sucked.”

“Why?”

“Just did. Why do you care?" 

Chris sighed and scratched at the beard on his face. 

"What happened?”

“Nothing happened. I just don’t want to be here.”

“Would you rather be at home?”

“Fuck no." 

"Why not?”


	2. Chapter Two

“Leave me alone!" Lucy yelled as she jerked away from Miss Alexander’s reach. "God, can you people not be prison wardens for like five minutes?! Fuck”

“Lucy!" 

The teenager ignored her superior and stir.ed to her class, taking her seat. The Language Arts teacher raised her eyebrows but continued with the lesson, choosing not to fight the battle today. It was Monday and everyone hated Monday’s. Especially Chris who was now making his way toward the classroom. He entered, apologizing to the teacher for interrupting, and asked Lucy to join him in the hallway. Lucy ignored him, hoping he’d just leave and glared from underneath her hair covered face as he approached desk. 

"I’m not asking this time. Get up.”

Again, the girl didn’t reply. Chris sighed, hating what was to come next. All part of the job, but the riskiest part. Chris stood behind her desk and reached his arms under hers, pulling her up from her desk. She didn’t fight him, instead she became dead weight, forcing him to drag her out into the hallway. Waiting for them was the principal, the vice principal, and the school counselor. 

“Lucy, you were asked repeatedly to remove your hood. You know the rules. No head coverings of any kind inside the school.”

“Are you gonna make Inya take her headscarf off?” Lucy grumbled 

“That’s different. She has religious exemption.”

“Well I have exemption too under the fact that I don’t want to.”

“Lucy.”

Chris was behind her and his voice made her aware of his presence, her stance instantly becoming defensive. 

“Take your hood off and drop the attitude.”

“Or what Chris?” Lucy turned toward him, her tone aggressive “You gonna take me down? Cuff me and break my arm?" 

"That’s not…have you been reading the news again?”

“No, but all you cops are the same.”

Chris pinches the bridge of his nose. 

“Just one day, please, could you not be difficult? I was in the middle of a-" 

"Fine!" 

Lucy’s sudden scream made the adults jump, taken aback, but not Chris. He remained calm, watching the girl as she reached up and yanked the hood away from her face and pushed her hair away. Soft gasps littered the air as the bruises on Lucy’s face and neck were revealed. 

"Lucy, what happened? Are you alright?” Ms Broman, the counselor, asked 

“Oh, now you care?! Five minutes ago you didn’t give a shit why I was wearing my hood, you just wanted me to comply to your stupid rules." 

She glared at the women before turning to glance up at Chris.

"Well?”

Chris didn’t know what to say. He was shocked, which surprised him. He always had a feeling that something was going on at home, but seeing the proof shook his core. 

“We should go to my office.” Ms Broman suggested 

“I just want to go back to class." 

"Lucy, we should talk about this.” Chris managed to say

“Talk about what? I got my ass kicked this weekend, big deal. I just want to do my work.”

“Who did this? Was it a student?”

“No.”

“Your father?”

“Why can’t you people leave me alone?!” Lucy cried, pushing past the staff and running up the hallway. 

They were dumbfounded, all standing there looking at each other as they wondered what to do next. 

“I’ll talk to her, figure this out.” Chris sighed 

“Good. She listens to you.” Ms Broman nodded in agreement “We’re really going to miss the Lucy Whisperer when you leave.”

Chris chuckled before they dispersed. He knew where Lucy would be hiding and sure enough he found her in his office, curled in the saucer chair, her hood pulled tight over her head. 

“Luce?” Chris sat on the edge of his desk “You ok, kiddo?" 

"I’m fine." 

"Who hurt you?" 

No response. 

"Lucy? Did your dad do this?" 

Nothing. 

"I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me.”

“Ha!” Lucy’s laugh dripped with sarcasm “Help? How can you help? Call the child services people?”

“I’m required by law to call them if there’s a child that needs-" 

"Needs what? An even worse ass beating? You think this is the first time something like this has happened? Every time some grownup tells me they’re going to help, then they call the cops. Cops come, old man gets out of trouble, and I get it ten times worse. So why don’t you help by minding your business." 

Chris spent the rest of the day trying to convince Lucy to let him make the call but she begged and pleaded until he relented and raises his hands. 

"Fine. I could lose my job, you know.”

“Just say you took care of it.”

Chris couldn’t sleep that night. Every time he closed his eyes all he could see was Lucy and the bruises. Guilt laid heavy in him and he knew he should make the call but he also knew how much damage it could do. The judicial system was so backwards, and the department of family and children services didn’t like to take kids out of their homes, even with solid proof. The next morning Chris went into the school feeling like a zombie and he was sure that his unkempt hair and baggy eyes showed that he had a rough night. Instead of going to his office he went to the hallways, looking for Lucy. He found her trying to threaten another kid into giving her his breakfast but she stopped when she saw Chris. 

“Hey, kiddo. You okay?" 

She jerked away from him, ignoring his question and storming off to her class. The entire day went by without a word from Lucy’s teachers, and he didn’t know if he should be worried or relieved. As he finished up a last minute document for the ROTC speech he was giving the next day, a knock on his door caused him to stop. 

"Come in.”

Ms Broman walked in with concern written across her usually cheerful expression. 

“Have a seat. Is everything okay?”

“No, not really. Lucy’s current situation is alarming.”

“Certainly.”

“I asked around for a bit of Intel on her and I’m not liking what I’m hearing. She refused to write an assignment last week, which you know isn’t like her, about her family. Did you know that throughout the entire school year she’s not once eaten a meal here?”

“I didn’t know that." 

"I asked the lunch staff and it turns out there’s not a dime in her account. Hasn’t been all year. Students say that she threatens them for food.”

“Explains this morning.” Chris thought to himself as he processed the information “What do we know about her parents? Anything?”

“I pulled her file, she moved her over summer, her mother died four years ago. No one has ever seen or talked to the father." 

"Past records from the previous schools?”

“That only shows her grades and any incidents. There weren’t any alarming ones, but she did get suspended in middle school for selling slime on campus." 

"Slime? That doesn’t seem like something she’d do." 

Chris made a few notes and finished his conversation with the counselor. He went home for the day, still unable to focus on anything other than Lucy. 

The next morning he was surprised to see Lucy waiting for him in front of his office door, arms crossed. 

"Good morning.” He greeted her with a soft smile as he unlocked the door and gestured for her to come in “How are you today?”

“Cut the shit, Chris.” She spat, glaring at him “You’re the fakest person I’ve ever met, you know that?" 

"What do you mean?” Chris took a sip of his coffee as he looked at her 

Lucy uncrossed her arms and waved the flier she had been holding in his face 

“Goodbye Rally? You want to explain?”

“The school wants to hold a goodby for me on Friday. Not my kinda thing, but not my choice." 

"So you’re leaving?”

“I am. I had to get a new job that works better for my schedule." 

"Were you planning on telling me?" 

"Oh, you care?" 

"Fuck you." 

Tears filled Lucy’s eyes, her face red with frustration. 

"Lucy…”

“It’s because of me isn’t it?”

“What? No, Luce, that’s not it at all”

“Then why?! Why leave somewhere you’re needed? These kids, the ones you mentor, the ROTC kids you work with. They need you.”

Chris frowned, his gut feeling as if it had been punched. He didn’t want to leave his job at the high school, but if he ever wanted to finish his night classes and get his counseling degree, he had to.

“They’re bringing in a new resource officer. I know her and she’ll do a gild job with everyone.”

“You can’t leave.” Tears streamed down Lucy’s face “Please. I promise I won’t cause any more trouble, I won’t talk back or cuss ever again.”

“Lucy, this has nothing to do with you." 

"You don’t care, do you? This is just a paycheck for you, you don’t care what happens to us. Fucking liar.”

Chris started to reply but was cut off by Lucy balling up the flier and throwing it in his face. She stormed out, slamming the door closed behind her. Chris sat down in his chair and buried his face in his hands, groaning.


End file.
